The bachelor of arts (BA) degree requires students to complete a minimum of 120 credit hours (a minimum of 40 courses) and generally takes four years to complete. During your studies, you will examine culture, thought, prehistory and history, human interactions, and the social and natural forces that constantly transform our society. You will gain the critical-thinking, analytical and communication skills needed to succeed and adapt in a changing world.

Jump to

• Admission requirements
• Your first year
• Degree requirements

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Major and Minor options 

^~ Currently not accepting new students
^* Co-op available
^{^} Interdisciplinary programs are those that include views and perspectives from more than one academic department at Memorial. A BA cannot contain two interdisciplinary programs. An interdisciplinary program (major or minor) must be combined with a major or a minor in a single discipline. If you are interested in completing an interdisciplinary program connect with an academic advisor.

Other majors eligible for the BA

These additional major programs are not housed in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, but you can choose to complete a BA with one of these Faculty of Science subjects:

• Computer science^*
• Data Science
• Mathematics
• Psychology^*
• Statistics

A student completing one of these major programs must complete an additional major or minor offered by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

^* Co-op available

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Admission requirements to degree

Applications are considered on a rolling basis. You are encouraged to apply by:

You may apply for admission into the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences by indicating bachelor of arts as your program choice on the undergraduate application for admission. Direct entry into the faculty is subject to your meeting the general admission requirements for Memorial University.

You may choose your intended Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences major at the time of application or you can explore your options and declare a major in a later semester.

To declare majors and minors from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, email registrar@mun.ca to make your choice official. Science majors have a competitive application process or require signatures as identified on the Declare/Change Academic Program - Humanities/Social Sciences and Science form.

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Your first year

Have a look at a sample schedule of 10 courses you may need to take in your first year of a BA program.

If you have chosen a major, you should follow the courses listed for that program.

This is a sample only. Meet with an academic advisor to create a plan that aligns with your specific needs and goals.

1. Both LS courses must be in the same language. If your first language is not English and you do not meet the standards for entry into regular first-year English courses you may use English 1020 and 1021 to fulfill this requirement. Such students are permitted to complete up to an additional six credit hours in English CRW courses at the 1000 level in order to fulfill the CRW requirement.

Further assistance

For assistance with course selection, contact the Academic Advising Centre.

For additional program information, visit the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences or email a Humanities and Social Sciences academic advisor.

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Degree Requirements

The general and honours bachelor of arts degrees require the completion of a minimum of 120 credit hours, consisting of the following components:

• core requirements
• major program
• minor program
• electives

Core requirements

The core requirements are a set of courses required of all arts undergraduates that encourages a breath of foundational knowledge. These courses are in addition to what is required by each department to fulfill the requirements for a major, minor or other area of academic interest.

Critical reading and writing

Critical reading and writing (CRW) designated courses are designed to ensure that students develop university-level foundational knowledge and skills in critical reading and writing in the humanities and/or social sciences. Students must complete a minimum of six credit hours in foundational CRW courses, one of which must be offered by the Department of English.

Language study

Language study (LS) designated courses are designed to ensure that students develop university-level foundational knowledge of the structure of a language other than English, and to foster awareness of the inherent link between language and cultural literacy. You must complete a minimum of six credit hours in LS courses, in the same language.

If your first language is not English and you do not meet the standards for entry into regular first-year English courses, you may use English 1020 and 1021 to fulfill this requirement. You will be permitted to complete up to an additional six credit hours in Department of English CRW courses at the 1000 level in order to fulfill the CRW requirement.

Quantitative reasoning

Quantitative reasoning (QR) designated courses are designed to ensure that students develop university-level foundational knowledge and skills in numeracy, quantitative analysis, logical reasoning involving numbers, and/or the graphical representation of data. You must complete a minimum of six credit hours in QR courses.

Breadth of knowledge

Breadth of knowledge ensures that you have exposure to courses in a variety of disciplines and interdisciplinary areas of study within the humanities and social sciences. You must complete one course from a minimum of six of the following areas of study: anthropology, archaeology, classics, communication studies, criminology, economics, English, folklore, French, gender studies, geography, German, history, law and public policy, linguistics, medieval and early modern studies, philosophy, political science, religious studies, Russian, sociology and Spanish. Humanities and/or social sciences courses used to meet the CRW, LS, and QR requirements and/or the student’s major or minor requirements may also be used towards this requirement.

Major and minor requirements

The BA major is a concentrated area of study involving 36 to 45 credit hours. You must also complete a minor, which is a minimum of 24 credit hours. As an alternative to a minor, you may complete a second major program.

All BA students must complete at least one of the major or minor programs in a subject that is considered humanities or social sciences.

If you are completing a major in an interdisciplinary program, you must complete a minor or a second major in a non-interdisciplinary program.

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